CAMPIDELLI, PIUS (PIO), BL.

Baptized Luigi, known in religion as Pius of St. Aloysius, Passionist brother; b. Trebbio di Poggio Berni (near Rimini), Italy, April 29, 1868; d. San Vito di Romagna, Casale, Italy, Nov. 2, 1889. Gigino, as he was called by his family, was the fourth of the six children of poor farmers. After his father, Giuseppe Campidelli, died in 1874, an uncle came to help Gigino's mother, Filomena Belpani, with the farm. In 1877 the Campidellis became acquainted with the passionists during a mission. Gigino entered their novitiate in the province of the Pieta (eastern Italy) that had been closed in 1866 shortly after the death of St. Gabriel possenti and reopened by Bl. Bernard silvestrelli in 1882. Campidelli made his profession on April 30, 1884 and received the name Pio di San Luigi. He became known for the depth of his prayer life and fidelity to his vows while studying for the priest-hood. He received minor orders at San Entizio (Viterbo) prior to being diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1889. He offered his suffering for the Church and died at age twenty-sone. He was beatified by John Paul II, Nov. 17, 1985 (the International Year of Youth), as a model for young people.

Bibliography: l. alunno, Pio Campidelli (Isola 1985). g. cingolani, Pio Campidelli: la rivincita dell'anonimato (Turin 1989). Acta Apostolicae Sedis (1985): 141. L'Osservatore Romano, English edition, no. 47 (1985): 3–4.

[k. i. rabenstein]